Abia State
know as
"God's Own State"
Population
Approximately 4.3 million
Languages
Although English is the Nigeria Official Language, almost 85% speak and hear English or pidgin English. The Official local language is Igbo which around 95% of the population speak.
Religious Belief
Abia State is dominantly a Christian State; roughly 85% of the people are Christians whereas 10% are traditional believers, although about 2% are Muslims.
Capital
Umuahia
Local Government Areas
Aba North, Aba South, Arochukwu, Bende, Ikwuano, Isiala-Ngwa North, Isiala-Ngwa South, Isuikwuato, Item, Mgboko, Nbawsi, Obehie, Obingwa, Ohafia, Omoba, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Umu-Neochi
Contact Office
Abia State Government Liaison Office,
T. Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria
State House
Government House, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.
Chief Theodore Orji
Onye isi ochichi
Ndi-Abia State
Abia LG Workers Urged to Support Orji
From OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
Special Adviser to Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State on Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs) Amarachi Dede, has urged workers in the state's unified local government system to support the administration of Governor Theodore Orji in its drive to clear the arrears of salary owed them by the immediate past chairmen of councils in the state.
She made the appeal in Aba during the send off ceremony organized for the former Head of Personnel Management (HPM) for Aba South Local Government, Mrs. Joy Dimanochie, by the Local Government Administrative Officers Association (LGAOA) of the council.
Dede, who spoke against the backdrop of the reported planned industrial action by workers of the 17 local government councils in the state over unpaid salaries, said workers' support had become imperative since the state governor is personally making spirited efforts to off set the salary arrears owed them. Some of the local governments owe their workers as much as ten months.
She commended the workers for their patience and said with the intervention of the state government, the backlog of salaries owed them would soon be a thing of the past. She commended the governor for his efforts in reducing crime, particularly kidnapping, in the state and called on traditional rulers to partner with government to stamp out violent crimes in Abia state.
Mrs. Dimanochie said it was a great honour to have worked in Aba south local government which she described as the commercial nerve center of the state. Dimanochie, who had been transferred to Bende local government in the same capacity, while commending the residents of the council for being peace loving, extolled the good virtues of the workers of the council exhibited through sense of patriotism when she was with them and urged them to extend the same to Sir, Ben Nwulu, the new HPM.
Members of LGAOA, Aba South, through their chairman, said Mrs. Dimanochie was instrumental to the formation of the association in the council which was its first in the 17 local governments of the state and described her as a woman of substance, wishing her well in her new posting.
Source: The Sun, 4th March 2010.
Abia Varsity Set to Establish Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
STEVE OKO, Umuahia
Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, has perfected arrangements to establish its faculty of pharmaceutical sciences, thus becoming the second university in the South East after University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to offer such course following the release of N138 million special grant by the Education Trust Fund (ETF), to the institution.Vice-chancellor, Professor Mkpa Agu Mkpa, who gave the cheery news in a press conference to mark the 20th convocation ceremony of the institution, said contract for the project had already been awarded, and expressed deep regret that hitherto, only UNN, out of the tertiary institutions in the South East states, offered the course, despite its scientific importance.
He noted that ABSU has accessed and made judicious use of all its ETF funds thus ranking among the first three universities to access ETF funds.
The VC, who has just returned from France where he bagged the "2009 Winner of the Star Excellence Award in the management of tertiary education in Nigeria" by the African Leadership Magazine, said they held bilateral talks with management of Uppsala University, Sweden, on exchange of programmes between the duo.
According to him, the visit, which was facilitated by the Nigerian Ambassador to Sweden, marks the beginning of a long lasting relationship with the 600 years old famous science university that publishes a minimum of 5000 research articles annually.
Prof Mkpa bemoaned the high level of decay in state universities due to poor funding and tasked the federal government to make available, at least 25 per cent of the total grants to federal universities for infrastructural development of state universities.
"It is not enough to set standards for us through NUC and tell us the number of courses and quality of lectures to have. The federal government should also help us to attain the standards because the state universities produce the manpower the federal government uses."
He also used the forum to espouse some of the gains of the recently introduced Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam format of the institution, saying it has encouraged hard work among students and lectures alike.
According to him, an ABSU student who passed through the system emerged the overall best law student at the Nigeria Law School, Enugu, while another ABSU product won one of the six scholarship awards by the Japanese government to the best six engineering students in Nigeria.
On the menace of cultism on campus, the VC noted that cultist activities have reduced to about 70 per cent since he assumed office four years ago, and vowed to fight the monster to a standstill.
He however, noted that some disgruntled students mask as cultists to disposses fellow students of their money and other valuables with toy guns, especially at the beginning of semesters, but warned that "such criminal acts attract outright expulsion."
As part of measures to eradicate cultism on the campus, he said all 31 registered Christian associations in the institution take a day, once in a month, to pray for the school besides the weekly prayers by all the departments in the school.
He also denied the allegation of embezzlement of funds to the tune of N10 billion as levelled against some principal officers of the institution by a faction of the alumni association.
The VC wondered how he could have embezzled such a whooping amount when all the funds that accrued to the university since 2005 was less than N10 billion.
He attributed the genesis of the friction between the association and management of the university to the refusal of the later to allow further remittance of alumni levies to the former, which it has continued to squander.
Mkpa argued that alumni associations are supposed to invest part of their personal earnings in their alma-mater and not to "milk it dry" as in the case of ABSU alumni, adding that the leadership of the association has refused to conduct fresh election only to perpetuate themselves in office for further fleecing of the Alumni fund.
Source: Daily Champion, 27th Feb 2010.
Mass Transfer:
Abia council workers begin strike March 1
Steve Oko, Umuahia
Activities in the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of Abia State will on Monday, March 1, be grounded as council workers in the state under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have decided to embark on an indefinite strike action following failure of the state government to rescind its decision to transfer all council treasurers in the local government service to state service.
NULGE had earlier given the state government 14 days ultimatum, which elapses tomorrow, February 28, within which to reverse the policy, which it described as an aberration and the height of illegality, or face the wrath of council workers.
This three point resolution, which was said to have got the nod of the national leadership of the union was adopted Wednesday at the Sate Executive Council Meeting (SEC) of NULGE and made available to Saturday Champion in Umuahia.
The resolution endorsed by NULGE chairman, Abia State chapter, Elder Eze Idima, and the secretary, Comrade Jennifer Besong, respectively, reads in part:
"That having exhausted the 14 days ultimatum given in our letter no NULGE/ABSGB/VOL.IV/02/368 of 8th February, 2010, to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Abia State for which the union had been neglected.
"That the same state government has, contrary to existing rules, laws and regulations …. posted all treasurers of the local government to the state, in spite of all entreaties."
NULGE also accused the state government of reneging on its earlier promise to defray all outstanding salary arrears of council workers owed them by the immediate past council chairmen, but instead, decided to pay only January salary.
The union further said the only condition to call off the strike would be the unconditional payment of all arrears of salary of council workers, and return of the treasurers to their duty posts under the unified local government service.
They described the state government's action as an aberration of the constitutional demarcation of the three tiers of government.
On the allegation that the treasurers connived with the immediate past council chairmen to enable looting of council funds, the state NULGE helmsman, Elder Idima said there was no atom of truth in the rumour, and challenged the state government to formally charge any treasurer found wanting.
Source: Daily Champion, 27th Feb 2010.
'There Is No Opposition In Abia'
By Samson Ezea
JOHN Nwokocha, Abia State Commissioner for Information and Tourism, speaks on this year's budget recently presented by Governor Theodore Orji and other sundry issues.
What are the major highlights of this year's budget, as presented by Governor Theodore Orji, and what was the performance of year's budget?
This year's Abia State budget, christened 'People-oriented budget,' because it is a budget of the people, for the people and by the people.
The budget is a total sum of N60.70billion, representing a 28 per cent increase from last year's budget of N55.52billion. This year's budget will consolidate the gains that have been made by the government in the preceding years.
We will create more jobs this year and execute more capital projects through efficient allocation of resources and close monitoring of the budget implementation, which the governor is known for.
As for last year, the budget achieved about 80 per cent of its targets, which is a success story. Abia is working, because the governor has vowed to complete all his people-oriented projects and we have chosen to ignore the tantrums of the blackmailers.
However, we will treat the reckless utterances of mischief-makers as affront that will no longer be tolerated, and we warn them to keep away from our state.
What is happening in the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in Abia? We have not heard about any preparations towards the 2011 elections?
A lot is happening in the party and they are being reported in the media. But sadly, what some of you want to hear is chaos, cracks, infighting, instability and violence.
Let me add that in Abia, there is no opposition, because the presence of PPA is being felt everywhere, based on the programmes of the governor. It is not an exaggeration to say that the governor has no rival in the state.
But to answer your question directly, the PPA in Abia has been busy oiling its structures, including strategising, mobilising and sensitising the electorate in diverse ways. We are galvanising them even at the grassroots.
Again, this why the governor is popular in the state. If election is held today, he will win landslide, because Abians consistently pray for their governor and are waiting to vote him again. Ostensibly, the structures are alive; the people know their leaders at any giving time and would go the extra mile to vote them in.
However, we are not unmindful of the activities of some politicians with whom we have tactfully resisted the temptations to join issues. But this should not be misinterpreted to mean that we are a lame duck.
The focus of the governor is to deliver on his promises of good governance in the remaining years of his first tenure in office. Evidently, the dividends of democracy are noticeable in the state under the Ochendo administration. And with this, Abians already know who to vote in come 2011.
The antics of fifth columnists and blackmailers drumming up war and heating up the polity will flounder and flop, while the governor will not be distracted. During the Christmas season, the governor put smiles on the faces of party faithful, through his several welfare packages, for which teeming party members have been commending Ochendo.
The state government was recently reported as offering amnesty to kidnapers in the state. Does the government have the means to carry out such amnesty successfully?
Amnesty is an expensive project indeed. But government is not going to look at the enormity of it and feel shy of dealing with the monster as it were. This is a responsive government that would stop at nothing to tackle the menace of crimes in the state, such as armed robbery and kidnapping.
Amnesty is a measure taken by the state government to discourage kidnapping. However, because of the huge cost involved in carrying out the project to its logical conclusion, it will be a big relief if the federal government comes to the assistance of the state and do what it has done in the Niger Delta region. The federal government should support the initiative of the Abia State government and ensure that the project accomplishes its objectives.
You can see that kidnapping is occurring almost everywhere in Nigeria, unlike before, when people used to point at Abia as if it is the only state kidnappers operated. So, if the federal government can assist Abia, it would have solved a problem in Nigeria and the federal government can move to other states where the phenomenon is present and do a similar thing and gradually, kidnapping will disappear. You know this problem is alien to us.
Insecurity is an issue that concerns everybody. Nevertheless, the state government is calling on kidnappers to embrace the amnesty and surrender their arms and ammunition. But the state government would not be hoodwinked by people who may want to exploit the amnesty package.
Indeed, the incentive is robust to encourage the kidnappers to lay down their weapons. Even as the government is calling on the kidnappers to embrace this offer, it should not be viewed as weakness on the part of the government. It should be understood that the state government does not lack the will to deal with those behind this evil.
What has been the response since the offer was made?
We are recording some success, but it is too early to judge. We should also understand that the issue is security and you don't discuss it generally like a common subject. It involves strategy, synergy and continuous planning.
One of the steps taken by the state government to check the evil is creation of a youth empowerment programme, which is ongoing. The aim is to reduce youth unemployment.
However, majority of those who perpetrate the crimes are not involved in it, because they lack employment; it is just that they are living on the fast lane.
Source: The Guardian, 6th Feb 2010.
VC Appeals To Abia Govt To Adopt
New Salary Structure
Written by Oliver Ndife, Umuahia
The Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, Professor Mkpa Agu Mkpa, has appealed to the Abia State government to as a matter of urgency adopt the new salary structure approved by the Federal Government.
Mkpa, who made this known during the institution's budget defence at the House of Assembly yesterday, explained that if the new salary structure was not immediately adopted by the state government, the institution stands the risk of loosing its academic staff to federal universities and other sister state universities that had adopted the new salary structure.
He, therefore, appealed to the House to review the recommendation of the state estimate committee with respect to funding of the university in 2010 and approve a subvention of N2.82 billion for the university.
The VC observed that N1.2 billion approved for the university as the state government's subvention for 2010 and the current internally generated revenue can not sustain the university's operations when the new salary structure approved by the Federal Government becomes operational in the state.
He revealed that the financial implication of the new salary structure approved for the staff union on campus which would be adopted by the state government any moment from now was N250 million monthly which comes to N3 billion in a year, adding that other recurrent costs estimated at N1.54 billion was not included in the N3 billion.
Mkpa explained that there was limit to which school fees would be increased otherwise it would become counter productive to government policies.
The vice chancellor disclosed that applying the approved fees of N47,500 and considering revenues from other minor sources the university would be able to generate N1.72 billion in 2010 assuming there were no fee defaulters.
Responding to the address, the Chairman ,House Committee on Appropriation, Hon Matthew Ibeh, advised that the institution's request be made available to the state planning commission.
Ibeh promised that once the new salary structure is adopted by the government, the House would not hesitate to entertain any supplementary budget in respect of the new salary structure.
Meanwhile the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation and member representing Umunneochi constituency, Hon. Matthew Ibeh, has challenged the ministry of health and its parastatals to increase the provision of health and other medical services to the people of state.
Source: Leadership, 2nd Feb 2010.